Hill Democrats plot response to Hobby Lobby

The Supreme Court’s ruling that employers with religious objections don’t have to comply with Obamacare requirements to provide contraception coverage sparked swift reaction on Capitol Hill.

The Burwell v. Hobby Lobby decision deepened partisan division in Congress over the government’s role in health care with Republicans praising the ruling for protecting religious freedom and Democrats panning it for intruding into women’s health care decisions — and promising legislation to try to restore the coverage.

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Breaking news: Hobby Lobby wins

Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the upper chamber’s fourth-ranking Democrat, will lead the push, saying in a statement that she’ll “work with my colleagues and the administration to protect this access, regardless of who signs your paycheck.”

“Since the Supreme Court decided it will not protect women’s access to health care, I will,” she said. Those sentiments were echoed Monday by other key Democratic senators, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Tom Harkin of Iowa, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin says he’s introducing a bill requiring corporations that are newly exempted from the contraception mandate to disclose their coverage policy to employees and job applicants.

But there were few specifics Monday from Democrats on what other measures would entail, although one senior Senate Democratic aide said a legislative response could come in July or September — right before the midterm elections.

Democratic Reps. Louise Slaughter of New York and Diana DeGette of Colorado, the co-chairwomen of the House Pro-Choice Caucus, are discussing a potential bill with Murray, according to a representative, who said the lawmakers are examining “all possible responses” to the 5-4 ruling. Drew Hammill, spokesman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, said members are exploring “every avenue to assure that women get access to comprehensive care including contraception.”

Democrats don’t appear to see many political downsides to taking on the decision. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee sent out an email shortly after the ruling fundraising off it, and several vulnerable red-state Democrats up for reelection were quick to criticize the decision, even though they’re typically reluctant to talk about other parts of the health care law.

“It is shameful that a woman’s access to contraception is even up for debate in the year 2014,” Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) said Monday. “The choice about whether to use birth control should be between a woman and her doctor, not her boss, and no employer should be allowed to interfere with a woman’s access to contraception.”

Alaska Sen. Mark Begich, another Senate Democrat running for reelection, said it is “unacceptable” that some employers would be able to bar women’s access to contraceptives under the ruling.

“A woman’s health care decisions should be between herself and in consultation with her doctor,” Begich said. “I will continue to fight to protect all Alaskans’ right to privacy and that includes a women’s right to make her own health care decisions.”

In Arkansas, Sen. Mark Pryor said he understands the “deeply held religious views” of those who brought the lawsuit. But he was still clear that he supports the requirement and compared his views on the health care law to his opponent, Republican Rep. Tom Cotton, who has been a vocal critic of Obamacare.

The Kentucky Republican also took the opportunity to deride Obamacare as “the single worst piece of legislation to pass in the last 50 years.”

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said the decision is “another defeat for an administration that has repeatedly crossed constitutional lines in pursuit of its big government objectives.”

South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the chamber’s No. 3 Republican, called the decision “a victory for religious freedom.”

“Religious freedom is one of our most basic principles and the very first right mentioned in the Bill of Rights,” Thune said. I am pleased that the Supreme Court has rejected the Obama administration’s attempt to limit this most fundamental of American liberties.”

House Energy and Commerce Commerce Chairman Fred Upton and Rep. Joe Pitts, health subcommittee chairman, also said they’re pleased by the ruling.

“‘Fines on faith’ are against the American way, and we are pleased today that the Supreme Court has protected this right and also protected the thousands of jobs threatened by the [Health and Human Services] mandate,” they said in a joint statement.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a potential 2016 GOP presidential nominee, said the decision is “a repudiation of the Obama administration’s untenable position that people with sincerely held religious beliefs should be forced to comply with an unconstitutional mandate while a parade of waivers, exemptions, and delays are granted for purely commercial and political interests.”

Congressional Democrats largely responded with anger at the high court’s decision, arguing that the religious views of a woman’s employer should play no role in whether she can get access to contraception.

“A woman’s personal health decisions about choosing to use contraception and when to start a family should stay strictly between her and her doctor — not her boss,” said Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), who is running for reelection this year. “The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision unacceptably takes these choices out of doctors’ offices and into the workplace.”

“Your boss does not belong in your bedroom or your exam room. Disappointed in #SCOTUS decision. #NotMyBossBusiness,” tweeted Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), another Democratic senator up for reelection this year.